Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Pilot
by SaiyaGirl1
Summary: An Alternate Pilot for the new Knight Rider show. Where the new Driver is a hot female jet pilot. She decides to take a 'step down' and drive a 'car' when FLAG approaches her. Read if you're ready for something new that stays true to the original
1. Chapter 1

**Knight Rider 2008 - Alternate Pilot**

Author's Note: OK, this story is for everyone who finds the new Knight Rider series merely 'Bleh' or hate it outright. If you like the new series, you may still appreciate this fic, but you won't be finding a fic here about the new Michael Knight.

The only character I did take from the new show is Charles Graiman, and that is in name only, as I have reworked his personality. K.I.T.T is, of course, in this story as well, but the K.I.T.T he should have been, not that poor butchered Mustang with the crystal ball on the dash.

OK, rant over, and I now submit humbly to your reviews.

December, 2008

KNIGHT INDUSTRIES

Charles Graiman sat in an undefined black car in the middle of a wide empty space. Various workstations surrounded him, quiet and abandoned. He leaned his head back into the headrest and sighed heavily.

"Samuel Long is dead. The official report says it was accidental, but I have my suspicions." He said quietly. He paused for a moment, then continued his monologue. "We have no choice but to continue the project without him. We have very little time to train another driver. We need an individual who can learn the basics, just to get through the first mission, while we train another driver for the long term. The first mission starts in two weeks. That is our only window of opportunity, and you are the only one that can take that opportunity." He placed one hand on the dark dashboard.

"Fortunately, I already have a candidate in mind. Katherine Long, Samuel Long's younger sibling." He smiled. "David will be surprised. He had considered Katherine at first, but he felt that Samuel was more capable."

He ran his hand along the dash gently, almost lovingly. "It'll soon be time for you to wake up permanently. Your training is almost done as well. Soon we shall see what kind of existence you will be."

********

Cannon Air Force Base - Curry County, New Mexico

Kat woke just before the alarm went off. Her hand came down on the digital clock just as the music started to blare. She rolled sleepily out of bed. A strong arm reached out, pulling her back in.

She extricated herself carefully out from under the arm. "I gotta go." She whispered. It was still dark out, her clock read 4:00AM.

"Damn pilots and their early hours." Her companion muttered.

"And damn those intelligence officers that get to sleep in till oh-five-hundred." She teased him. She leaned over, kissing him on the cheek before climbing back out of the narrow bed. She headed for the bathroom.

After a hot shower she was much more awake. She stood in her tiny kitchen, stirring her tea while she listened to her messages.

Her kitchen was tiny, her fridge was the mini kind, sitting up on the counter. That, a coffee maker and a hot plate made up her major appliances.

She loved it though. It was all hers. She had lucked out when the barracks had overfilled and they had offered her this tiny apartment. It was in the building that generally housed families, but this space was too small to fit more than one person comfortably.

"First message, from yesterday, at 9:37 AM." Her machine droned in it's synthetic female voice.

"Hey Sis, it's me Sam!" Her brother's exceedingly cheerful voice bubbled into the tiny space. "Sorry I haven't had a chance to call you in so long. I am working on a new project, very hush-hush, you know how it is. I wish I could introduce you to my new partner. I think you two would really hit it off." Kat rolled her eyes. He was always trying to fix his single little sister up with his friends.

"I don't know how many more times I'll get a chance to call you. I wanted to tell you that Christmas was out." She raised an eyebrow, glancing at the calender. It was a tiny thing that sat on her fridge next to a postcard. The postcard depicted a silver Camaro. The words 'Wish you were here! - Sam' were scrawled underneath it.

She looked back at the machine as her brother's voice turned more serious. "I'm going to be on this project for quite awhile. I mean, a really long time. But it's worth it. I'm going to be doing a lot of good. I hope you understand."

Kat raised her eyebrows. Was he telling her good bye? She sipped at her tea and frowned. Her brother was always getting himself into reckless situations. He was supposed to be the older one too.

Warm arms wrapped around her waist from behind. "You made me coffee." Daniel crooned into her ear.

She handed him a disposable Styrofoam cup, complete with lid. "See you in a few weeks." She said to him. She was being preemptive, she knew it. But he would leave soon, and it was always easier to tell him good bye rather than the other way around.

He frowned. "I can come by again sooner than that." He pouted.

Kat almost laughed. "Right. I'll believe that when I see it."

He hugged her tighter. "You're too caught up in your career. You need more time to yourself." He kissed her neck lightly.

She slid out of his arms expertly, holding her tea up and out of harm's way. "Daniel, you know that you are just as caught up in your own career. We don't like having free time, that's what makes us work." She retreated to her bedroom to get dressed.

Daniel sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, you're right." He said to the empty kitchenette.

********

A few short hours later, she was in the air.

This was what she lived for. Captain Katherine Long was a pilot for Cannon Air Force Base. Currently, she was flying the X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing. Testing for this jet had completed a few short years ago, and they were starting to commission them.

She was running through her drills when her Commander radioed her. "Captain Long, land immediately. There's someone down here to see you."

Kat frowned behind her mask. This was highly unusual. Her Commander's voice sounded strained. She chanced a little insubordination, to see how serious the situation was. "Sir, can't it wait until after the drills?" She asked.

There was a tense pause. "No it cannot, Captain. Land immediately." Very serious then.

Kat slipped easily out of her drill formation, heading back down to earth. Her heart sank a little like it always did when she had to land.

Once on the ground, she ran into the hanger, her helmet under her arm. She shook out her long brown hair. She saluted her Commander when she saw him, and waited.

"Good, you're here. Follow me, Captain." He turned and lead her into a small sectioned-off part of the hanger. Once behind the hastily erected partitions, he left her there with the only other occupant.

Kat studied the man seated at the folding table. He wore an expensive suit, his black hair was professionally styled and a shiny black briefcase lay on the table in front of him. Kat disliked him immediately.

"You wanted to see me about something?" She asked.

The man smiled at her, showing off some rather sharp incisors. "Yes, Miss Long. Please, have a seat and let me introduce myself."

Kat hesitated, then sat in the folding chair across from the man. She placed her helmet on the table. "That's Captain Long." She said quietly.

"Of course." The man said dismissively. He wasn't paying attention to her. He popped open his briefcase. "My name is David Marks. I work for Knight Industries." He looked over the open lid of the briefcase at her. "I am sure you have heard of us."

Kat nodded. "Of course, I've flown some of your jets." She said.

"Yes, we are very proud of our numerous government contracts." David smiled, obviously pleased. "We have many projects, some for the government, some private." His smiled widened. "And some both."

Kat gave him a quizzical look. "What is it that you want from me?" She asked, feeling impatient.

"I came here today to proposition you for one of our more classified projects." He handed her a sheaf of papers from the briefcase. The letters across the top grabbed her eye immediately: F.L.A.G.

"You guys need a pilot?" She asked, still confused.

"In a manner of speaking yes. We want you to drive a highly experimental car for us. With the purpose of taking on unorthodox and possibly dangerous missions." He was still smiling, like he was giving her an exceptionally shiny toy.

"A car?" She asked, frowning. "I'm a jet pilot." She smiled tightly "Isn't that a step down?"

David waved his hand dismissively. "This is no ordinary car, I assure you."

"It doesn't matter how extraordinary this car is. It's still not a jet." Kat countered. "My life is in the sky."

"We're willing to increase your salary substantially." He persuaded, folding his hands together.

Kat tossed the papers back across the table to him. "Keep it." She said, getting to her feet.

"I'm afraid you're going to want to sit back down." David said to her, his voice losing all trace of pleasantness. His dark eyes turned icy.

Kat gave him a cool look in return. "Why should I?" She asked. She was annoyed by this guy. Who did he think he was? Certainly not her Commander.

"I have information that may persuade you to join us, at least temporarily."

Kat hesitated, but didn't retake her seat. "What information?" She asked.

David pulled out a dossier file from his briefcase. Kat recognized the picture in the corner immediately. "Major Samuel Long was hired by us six months ago. He has been undergoing training since then. Due to highly confidential circumstances, he is unable to complete his first mission, which is two weeks away. The Department of Homeland Security has offered us a sort of trial mission. If we do not complete it on time, then we will lose our contract with them."

Kat's eyes narrowed. "So you approach Sam Long's sister, hoping she'll help her big brother out?" She asked.

There was a glint in David's eyes. "Something like that."

"And I would be working for you directly?" She asked. That was a nightmare waiting to happen.

He nodded. "I am the Director of FLAG, yes. But you will be working mostly with Charles Graiman, KITT's creator, and KITT."

"Kit?" Kat asked questioningly.

David held up the papers she had tossed back to him. "It's all right here." He said. He pushed the papers back to her, along with a lengthy looking contract and a silver pen. "This contract only covers the first mission, and binds you to secrecy of all people, places and events involved. You'll have to sign a new contract when you decide to stay on permanently."

Kat bristled. She picked up the pen. "I'm just going to help my brother out, that's all." She told him. She pulled the contract over to her, signing her name at the bottom. She flipped through it, signing on all the dotted lines. When she was done, she tossed the pen back to him. "I've got some vacation time coming anyway."

David slid the pen into his inside jacket pocket. "You would consider working for FLAG a vacation?" He asked. He looked highly amused.

"Compared to what I have here?" Kat held out her hands. As if on cue, there was the scream of a jet close overhead. The table and chairs rattled on the floor. "Yes, I do."

David smiled that venomous smile of his. "Interesting." He stood up, placing the signed contract back into the briefcase. "That's yours." He indicated the FLAG papers still on the table. Kat picked them up. "We leave immediately. A helicopter is already fueled up and waiting to take us to the facility." He told her. "Belongings will be provided to you, so there is no reason to return to your domicile."

Kat's eyebrows pushed together. She really didn't like this guy, he set her teeth on edge. Was she supposed to just drop everything? Leave with just the clothing on her back? "What if I had a cat or something?" She asked, irritated.

"You belong to FLAG for the time being, Miss Long. It will have to fend for itself." David answered, already walking away.

Kat glared after him. "That's Captain Long." She reminded his back. He ignored her. "Good thing I wasn't baking a cake." She muttered as she followed. "It would have to fend for itself."


	2. Chapter 2

**Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Pilot – Chapter 2**

F.L.A.G Underground Facility

During the helicopter ride, Kat looked over the FLAG papers. They included a very basic diagram of the car, K.I.T.T, which stood for Knight Industries Three Thousand. Most of it looked simple to her. But there was some parts that were confusing. She would have to wait till she saw things in person.

Thankfully, David vanished as soon as they touched down next to several small white buildings. He ran off to one of the buildings after telling her to wait. The helicopter took off, heading back to base. Kat sighed, wishing she could hop right back on it.

She took in her surroundings. She was somewhere out in the desert. Death Valley, maybe? There was no way to be sure. There was three or four small, low buildings here. What kind of facility was this?"

A man came out of another building to greet her. "Captain Katherine Long, I presume." He said, holding out his hand. He smiled at her kindly.

Kat took it, pumping once. She liked this man much better than David, his smile was genuine. He was late into middle age, with snowy white hair. But she wouldn't call him old. He held himself straight, and his eyes were sharp behind his glasses.

"The one and only." Kat answered him.

"My name is Charles Graiman. I am immensely relieved to see that you're joining us." He told her. And she could see that relief plain on his face.

Kat frowned. "Only temporarily. I'm just here to help Sam out of a tight spot." She looked around. "Is he here?"

Charles shook his head. "I'm afraid not." He turned from her then. "This way please." He led her into the small building he had come out of.

This was the smallest building, the only thing in it was an elevator and a guard desk. The guard behind the desk waved them through, not even looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

The elevator went down a long way. This made Kat a little uneasy. She stared up at the ceiling. "Claustrophobic?" Charles asked.

Kat shook her head. "I just hate being so far away from the sky..."

The elevator opened up into another room with a guard desk. This guard was much more alert and sat behind a thick pane of bulletproof glass. Charles swiped a card through a scanner and the guard buzzed them through. There was another door, and then they were in a hallway.

"The residential section is down this way." Charles told her as he led her through a maze of corridors. He opened a door, gesturing for her to step inside.

"These will be your quarters for the duration of your stay with us. You will be sharing with Angela, our Disguise Artist. Every member of the Team lives here on the Compound." He explained.

"They all _live_ here?" Kat asked in disbelief. She looked around the small room, which held two tiny loft beds, which were over two desks. A flat screen TV was placed on the wall. It seemed more like a prison cell than living quarters.

He nodded seriously. "Oh yes, all of the employees here have given up their old lives. Too much outside contact poses a security risk." He grimaced. "I know it's a little spartan, but you won't be spending much time in here. There is too much work to be done."

"And my brother signed up for this willingly?" Kat snorted. "This must be one hell of a car."

Charles smiled at her kindly. "You have no idea." There was a sympathetic look in his eyes just then. But before Kat could contemplate it, he spoke again. "Let me show you the main lab next." He offered graciously.

Kat gave him a skeptical look. "You're the car's creator, don't you have work to do? Can't you get a subordinate to give me the tour? Why am I getting the red carpet treatment?"

"I will admit that I enjoy seeing the reactions newcomers have when they meet KITT." He confided.

Kat arched a brow, but followed the older man out of the room. "Men." She muttered under her breath. Were they all so obsessive about cars? Maybe it was genetic.

********

"I wonder what the new driver will be like." Carmen, the Head Mechanic, mused. Aloud, as she did most of her thinking. She sat on the floor next to K.I.T.T. Various unidentifiable grease-covered bits of metal were laid out before her.

Laid right out on the bare floor, Pierce, the Head Computer Technician, noted with narrowed blue eyes. "Could have at least put something under them." He muttered to himself from his desk.

"Is it okay to introduce a new driver today? It's only been a day." K.I.T.T asked pensively. The red light on his hood flowed back and forth with his anxiety.

"Sooner the better, really." Carmen said, shrugging her petite shoulders. "Deadline is in two weeks. David assured the Homeland Security guy that you could handle this. And he won't let a setback like this ruin his image." She snorted, showing her opinion of David's image. "I just hope the new guy doesn't bomb. That's all we need, this project shut down before it even begins." She spoke darkly.

"Knight Industries is a privately held company." K.I.T.T reminded her. "I'm sure they'll find a use for me."

Carmen gave his hood a straight look. "If they don't get this contract, then you'll be staring at the walls of a warehouse for quite some time. And I'll get the boot."

She chose a bit of metal and slid under the Camaro and changed the subject. "I wonder if the new driver will be as cute as Sam, now there was a man you could-" She slipped easily into rapid Spanish while she worked under the car.

"Carmen, please have some respect for the dead." K.I.T.T chastised her calmly.

She slid out from under the car. "Oh, I am being very respectful." She assured him. "I saw Sam in the shower that one time, you know."

"You did not!" Pierce cut in from across the wide space. His frown was disapproving. "Stop telling lies, Carmen."

Carmen got to her feet, wiping her hands on a grimy rag. She stuck her tongue out at Pierce. "Maybe I'm lying, maybe I'm not. What's it to you?" She asked.

"I won't have you corrupting KITT." He replied, rising out of his chair. He walked over, and addressed K.I.T.T. "I would like to try out a new program."

K.I.T.T opened the driver's door and Pierce sat in the front seat. "This one works with your nano-skin. It will help you generate any license plates you need. It will also hook you directly to the DMV's database. You can now become any car, on the record as well as off." He smiled triumphantly. "Test it out." He slipped the mini flashcard into a slot on K.I.T,T's dash.

Carmen wrinkled her nose. "Why would KITT _want_ to be any other car, he's so _fabuloso_ as he is."

Pierce rolled his eyes, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Carmen, go to dictionary dot com and look up the word 'espionage'."

Carmen gave him a withering look through the windshield. He smiled back at her sweetly, baring his white teeth.

Carmen whipped her rag against the side of K.I.T.T's hood, leaving a grease smudge on the perfect, glossy-black finish. Pierce frowned at it. "Come on KITT, don't mess around with that geek stuff. You'll never pick up girls like that."

K.I.T.T. changed through several license plates, ending up with one that just said K.I.T.T. "I don't know about that. This can be very useful. Thank you, Pierce." Pierce preened smugly.

The mechanic made a strangled noise in the back of her throat. "Tell Carmen what kind of girls you like, KITT. One with a nice transmission, am I right? You're sexy enough, you could get any girl." She grinned, her large brown eyes sparkling.

Pierce scoffed before K.I.T.T had a chance to answer. "Only you would find a car sexually appealing." Carmen opened her mouth to retort, but Pierce cut her off too. "Besides, KITT wouldn't be interested in such trivial details as physical appearance. He would appreciate a keen mind and pleasant personality. Something that is sorely lacking from the females in the immediate vicinity." His blue eyes were frosty.

"I assure you that I have no idea what either of you are talking about." K.I.T.T answered. His synthesized voice was calm, but slightly uncomfortable.

Carmen snickered. She was looking up as something on the upper walkway had caught her eye. "Looks like we'll find out soon enough."

Pierce looked up through the windshield. "Charles is heading down. You know the drill, KITT." He exited the car and shut the door.

"You have to let _Papi_ have his fun." Carmen teased.

The red light on K.I.T.T's hood went out. He waited silently. Carmen retreated quickly to her station. Pierce took a pristine white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the grease smudge from K.I.T.T's finish before returning to his desk.

Charles led Kat down the metal staircase to the main floor. The car sat in the center of the huge room, on a large, slightly raised circle. Workstations surrounded it, mechanical on one side, computer on the other. At least a dozen technicians on both sides were working. The air was alive with the hum of their activity.

Only two people met her eyes. A small Hispanic young woman wearing coveralls was watching her intently, while wiping her greased covered hands on an even filthier rag. Her expression was fierce and scrutinizing, obviously sizing her up.

Across the room, a tall, thin man sat behind a large, immaculate desk, watching her covertly over his wire-framed glasses. He was pretending to work on the three different monitors on his desk, but Kat could tell that he was sizing her up as well.

They had two very different faces, one thin and pale, the other tanned and petite, but they wore identical expressions.

'They don't approve of me.' Kat thought. She tried to think why that might be, just from looking at her. Probably because she wasn't Sam. Sam was a blindingly cheerful person. He was also an unfailing optimist. There was no one in the world who was more pure and caring and kind. Kat always thought of him with pride.

Kat was a sharp-tongued pessimist. It showed in her movements as well as her face and voice. Compared to Sam's bright presence, she must have looked like rotten fish.

Charles stood next to the driver's side of the car. Kat looked at it wonderingly. Nervousness twisted her stomach. She had never been a car person, but even she could appreciate the sleek look that hinted at a powerful machine underneath. This car didn't need a huge spoiler, or a massive frame to look strong. It was in the air around it. She could see it in the way that Charles looked at it, with respect.

She also recognized it.

The Camaro that had been in Sam's postcard had been silver. This one was painted a glossy black. She could probably put on makeup by looking in the finish.

"The Fifth Generation Camaro concept car." Kat remarked, feeling glad that she might sound knowledgeable, instead of totally incompetent. She silently thanked her brother. "Specifically the GS Racecar Concept. I didn't realize that this was out yet."

Charles nodded. "KITT's design was based on the Camaro. You will find the interior has been modified." He gestured to the door. "You're the only person who can open KITT's doors." He told her. "He will recognize your fingerprints on the handle. Yours alone."

"That's convenient." Kat remarked. "I won't have to worry about losing my keys." She smiled weakly, trying to joke. It didn't make the nervousness ease up.

Charles smiled at her encouragingly. "Why don't you try it out? Take a seat in the passenger's seat."

Kat glanced through the windshield, noting that the steering wheel was on the left side of the car. That was a relief, she only know how to drive on the right side of the road. "You mean the Driver's seat, right?" She arched a brow.

Charles shook his head. A small smile played across his lips. "Every seat in KITT is a passenger's seat."

Kat gave him a strange look. But she humored him, placing her hand on the door handle. She heard the door unlock and pulled it open. She slid into the cool leather seat, looking around the interior. It looked like a normal car interior, only with more buttons. The stereo was about the only thing where the buttons were marked. The rest were unlabeled and enigmatic. Their were two extra meters next to the speedometers and fuel gauge as well, she peered at them, but couldn't understand what they were supposed to measure.

"I know I am supposed to be impressed, but this all looks very complicated." She gestured to the dash.

"You'll learn the basic functions for your mission." Charles assured her. "We have a dedicated team that will help you through this as painlessly as possible."

Kat took the wheel in her hands. She could feel more tiny buttons under her fingers. She would have to make sure not to grip the wheel too hard, then. Though it was a good idea, this way she wouldn't have to look away from the road in order to press something.

"So, how do you feel?" Charles asked.

Kat looked around. "It's roomier than a jet." She tried joking again. "But, I don't know. A car? I guess I can handle this for one mission. I'm used to unusual assignments."

"And you, KITT?" Charles asked, looking to the stereo.

Kat blinked in surprise. Was he seriously asking the car's opinion, or was he just playing around? Kat remained quiet, giving him a skeptical look.

But Charles frowned, obviously displeased with the silence. "I asked a question, KITT."

"Would you like me to answer honestly?" A synthesized voice asked tensely. The equalizer display on the stereo lit up, bright green, the levels rising up and down with the voice.

"Of course, KITT." Charles answered the voice.

Several things clicked in place in her mind. Sam's postcard, that message about his new _partner. _ David's amused smile back at the hanger. The way that Charles spoke of the car, with respect. It was then that it hit Kat that the voice coming from the stereo was the car _talking_...

"Given the time restraints, I don't think this will work. I didn't realize my new driver would be female." The car answered Charles.

Kat's spine was rigid as she felt heat rise up inside of her. The car talked, and it was sexist. Her fingernails dug into the steering wheel.

Charles saw the scowl forming on her face and opened his mouth to speak, but Kat beat him to it. "Is there something _wrong_ with me being a woman?" She asked tensely. She wasn't going to let anyone treat her this way, especially not a car.

"I meant no disrespect to you, Miss Long." K.I.T.T explained. "My AI is designed to learn and adjust to my driver. I have spent the last six months adjusting to Samuel. I do not think that two weeks is enough time to do a complete reversal on everything I have learned."

Kat gritted her teeth. "That's Captain Long." She said through them. She was in the Marines, for crying out loud, she wasn't going to take this.

Before she could say anything else, Charles cut in. "KITT, I have faith in you. And this is only temporary."

"If you say so." K.I.T.T said guardedly.

Charles gave Kat a wary glance. "Perhaps Katherine should meet the rest of the team now." He suggested.

Kat was out of the car before he had finished speaking, slamming the door behind her. Several people in the large room winced as the sound echoed off of the high ceiling.

"You will apologize to her later." Charles whispered. K.I.T.T was silent. "It's essential that the two of you get along." He turned away from the Camaro and walked over to Kat. Pierce rose from his desk and joined them.

"Allow me to introduce you to Pierce, our Head Computer Technician." Charles gestured to Pierce. "Pierce, this is Katherine."

Pierce held out his hand, which Kat shook after a brief hesitation. He didn't release it right away. His pale blue eyes sparked with interest as they took in her face. "The pleasure is mine." He said softly.

The sound of something heavy and metal hitting the concrete floor made them jump. Kat took the opportunity to retrieve her hand from Pierce's grasp. Her anger still hadn't cooled completely. "Oops." Carmen said, unconcerned. Her arms were crossed over her chest.

Charles turned to her. "Carmen, our Head Mechanic." He introduced the tanned young woman.

She stood where she was, her expression stony. She pursed her full lips. "Yo." She said. Disapproval was thick in the air around her.

Charles, sensing a situation brewing, took the diplomatic route of escape. "We should head over to the medic next." He said. He placed a hand gently on Kat's shoulder, steering her out of harm's way.

The medic was an elderly black man named Dustin. He smiled warmly at Kat when they were introduced, and Kat felt herself relax. He had an air about him of a small town doctor who did house calls on Christmas Eve.

"Dustin will be fitting you with a dental implant. It will contain a tiny communicator, which will keep you in touch with KITT at all times." Charles explained.

Kat's eyes widened in alarm.

"Don't worry, Captain." Dustin assured her in a smooth, deep voice. "It won't hurt a bit, and when you decide to leave us, I will replace it with a new tooth exactly like your old one."

Kat smiled at Dustin. She was really starting to like him.

The procedure wasn't that long, and it was painless. Her mouth felt a bit funny though, and it took a while for the Novocaine to wear off. When it did, her jaw twinged uncomfortably.

They tested the implant out as soon as it was in. They had explained how it worked to her. The insides of false tooth was made from biologic nano-technology. Tiny circuits made from amino acids. It was completely undetectable by bug sweepers, being organic. She was told that K.I.T.T was coated with with a thick skin of the same bio-nanos. He could make it stronger than steel, and survive heavy impact without a scratch.

The implant let her communicate with him by picking up her voice when she spoke aloud. K.I.T.T could communicate back to her through the implant as well. The sound waves would carry through her skull, to her ear.

"KITT?" She asked empty air once the procedure was over. Her voice was slightly slurred by the Novocaine. She also felt rather silly, with Charles and Dustin watching her so intently.

"I can hear you perfectly." She heard the synthetic voice in her ear.

"It works fine." She told Dustin.

"Very good." He smiled.

She spent the rest of the day in her and Angela's quarters. She had yet to meet her roommate. Everyone in the compound shared quarters. It was a kind of buddy system. If someone went missing, their roommate would know right away. Pierce had been Sam's roommate. While he was away, Pierce had to share with two others, since there was an odd number of males.

She wondered idly if she would get to see her brother before she left. She would ask him why he had decided to go through all of this. She winced as her jaw twinged again.

She was not unoccupied. Both Pierce and Carmen had handed her two-inch-thick manuals detailing K.I.T.T's various functions, both mechanical and technical. She had two weeks to read through both of them.

She fell asleep that night using one of the open books as a pillow


	3. Chapter 3

**Knight Rider 2008 – Alternate Pilot – Chapter 3**

Disclaimer: 'The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' belongs to Douglas Adams, may he rest in peace.

Flag Underground Compound

She woke abruptly at 4:00AM. She was surprised that everything was still dark. It must still be lights-out. The twinge in her jaw was gone, thankfully.

She stretched out in her tiny bunk, trying to enjoy the luxury of sleeping in for another hour or two. Her body just wouldn't rest anymore though. She was up.

She crawled out of bed, down the narrow ladder. Her desk had a laptop, but she wasn't interested in that right now. Someone who could only be Angela was snoring lightly in the other bunk. Kat decided to take her books with her to the kitchen.

The kitchen was deserted as well. That meant she got the whole huge space to herself. She kind of liked that. She read for a bit while she put on a pot of tea. At around five, and after two cups of tea, her stomach began to rumble.

She set about finding the ingredients for pancakes. They had the boxed stuff, but Kat didn't bother. She needed to fill up some time while everyone else woke up.

The refrigerator was a daunting monster. It was easily twelve feet tall and half that width. When she pulled open the door, it felt like she was opening a bank vault.

Next, she had to sort though the sheer mass of stuff inside. At least ten gallons of milk, and six dozen eggs. They had strawberry yogurt... she would have to remember that for later, if she could find it again.

She was just frying up a plate of silver dollar pancakes when Angela walked into the kitchen, yawning hugely. "Oh, that smells good. Whoever you are, please can I have some of that? Whatever it is."

She made her way over to a table and slumped into a chair, her arms folded over the tabletop and she laid her head on them. Her eyes never opened.

"Not quite awake yet?" Kat joked.

"Nope, still in dreamland." Angela murmured into her arms. "I don't recognize your voice, so therefore you must be the new driver I saw passed out when I came in last night."

"That's me."

"Welcome aboard, Captain Long." Angela saluted in her general direction weakly, still not lifting her head off the table.

Kat walked over and set a plate next to her, along with a bottle of syrup. "I can see I'm going to like you." She said, smiling.

Angela lifted her head. "Ooo, food." She picked up a tiny pancake and stuffed it into her mouth, not even bothering with the syrup, or a fork. Kat placed a coffee mug on the table next to her. Angela gave her an adoring look. "I can see we're really going to get along." She said.

Kat grinned and went back to the stove to make her own breakfast. More people were drifting into the kitchen, in varying states of consciousness. Some asked for pancakes, some fended for themselves. Carmen strode in, wide awake and talking to two of her mechanics. She was talking so fast Kat couldn't tell if she was speaking in English or Spanish. Though it sounded like both. She grabbed a liter of coffee in a travel mug and walked right out again.

After breakfast, Kat went to the main lab and talked to Pierce for several hours. He was bent on her absorbing as much information as humanly, or inhumanly, possible. He also introduced her to another new gadget.

Kat held the small vial up to the light. "Contact lenses?" She asked.

Pierce nodded, taking the vial from her and unscrewing the cap. "Try them out. They're far more useful than for mere vision correction."

Kat carefully placed the contacts over her eyes. She blinked a few times, settling them in place. Pierce continued with his tutorial. "They are made of the same bio-nanos as your tooth implant, undetectable by bug sensors. With them, KITT can send you an image of anything he sees. KITT." He called over to the car.

Suddenly a screen flared to life in front of her, showing her and Pierce sitting by his desk. The camera angle was low to the ground. Kat turned to the car and the Kat in the image turned as well. As her eyes moved around, the image stayed right in front of her.

Kat had a hard time suppressing her awe. "That's pretty cool." She said to Pierce.

He smiled, enjoying the praise. "I know. KITT can also see what you see." He handed her book back to her. "Time to go back to studying." He said. "I have work to do. I have several programs for KITT that are still in development."

More reading wasn't very appealing right now, so she tried stalling. "Oh, like what? I thought the car was finished."

Pierce pushed his glasses up his nose. "Hardly. KITT is an ongoing project. He is constantly being upgraded as we collect more field data. His nano-skin, for example, has much more potential than we originally realized. We are trying to discover ways to exploit it as much as possible." He turned a monitor to face Kat. There was a folder open, and a list of at least a hundred various programs.

"Some of them are useless." Pierce explained. "Or, not really useless. But they have no practical purpose. In some cases, they are liabilities." He indicated one with his mouse. "This one here. It allows KITT to detect and interpret physical sensation through his nano-skin."

"Physical sensation?" Kat's eyebrows raised. "Like... pain?"

Pierce thought a moment. "Yes, I suppose it could be used in that capacity as well." He smiled. "You can see why it's not practical though. Driving a car that could feel pain, when he is capable of plowing through a brick wall."

Kat nodded. "Yes, definitely a liability." She had a musing expression on her face. She glanced over at K.I.T.T. She wondered if she could ever get Pierce to test out that program in her presence. That over-hyped tin can could use a good swift kick to it's rear axle.

Pierce went back to his work and Kat moved to an unoccupied desk to continue her studying.

"You don't like me very much." K.I.T.T stated flatly. It hadn't spoken aloud, only in her own ear. It had startled her for a second, but then she remembered the dental implant. Her jaw was still tender, so she wondered how she had forgotten it.

Kat turned her head to it. "Why do you say that?" She kept her voice low, so as not to call attention to the fact that she looked like she was talking to herself. She had strived to remain as professional as possible, and not let the weirdness of her new situation get to her. Knowing that it was only temporary had helped.

"You think I am nothing but an over-hyped block of junk metal that would have served a better purpose decorating a scrapyard." The car accused, the red light on the front sped up in it's agitation.

Kat's eyes widened. "Holy crap! You can read minds too?" She whispered incredulously.

"No." K.I.T.T said dryly, the red light paused. "You talk in your sleep."

"Oh." Kat said. Then she was upset again. "Why are you listening to me sleep?"

"I have no choice." K.I.T.T answered at once. "My primary directive is to preserve human life. And I am linked to you more completely than any other human. As my driver, you are my direct responsibility. I must ensure that nothing happens to you."

Kat frowned. "I can take care of myself, even when I am sleeping." She pointed out tersely. Was this more of that sexist crap again?

"I am not saying you are incapable. But we are linked." There was a pause. "And it's not like I have anything else to do with my time."

Was it just her, or was there an edge to the car's voice? She decided quickly that it was just her. She raised her hands up placatingly. "You know what? It's fine. Whatever makes you happy." She got up from the desk and walked away, muttering to herself. "I'm not arguing with a car."

After Kat had left, K.I.T.T sat in silence. His red light flowed left to right, faster and faster. Pierce noticed his agitation from the corner of his eye. "Something wrong, KITT?" He asked.

"This isn't working." K.I.T.T replied. "I was supposed to apologize to her for yesterday. But I just ended up fighting."

"It'll take time." Pierce told him. "You'll adjust to her personality eventually."

"Will it be in time for the mission?" K.I.T.T asked.

Pierce looked at him over his glasses. "That I doubt. Maybe if you had six months, like with Sam."

"I miss Sam." K.I.T.T said wistfully. "He was so easy to understand."

"That's why he was chosen over Katherine originally." Pierce confided in him. "Katherine has the more impressive military career; Marines, test pilot at Cannon. But David made his decision after reviewing the psych profiles."

K.I.T.T was silent while he digested this new information.

Pierce continued. "K.I.T.T, you are an impressive machine. Exceedingly extremely impressive."

"I don't need an ego boost, Pierce." K.I.T.T said irritably.

"I'm getting to a point here." Pierce assured him. "What I'm saying is, that as impressive as you are, Katherine is used to being the impressive one. She pilots jets for a living. This looks like a step down to her. And since she's arrived here, she has gone through more than your average weirdness and uncomfortable procedures."

"What are you saying?" K.I.T.T asked.

"Maybe you can show her that being your driver isn't a step down. That it's not all a big sacrifice on her part."

"So, should I take her out to the test road and show her I can hit Mach 1?" K.I.T.T asked hopefully.

Pierce frowned. "You're still thinking about what Sam would like. Speed won't impress Katherine. You'll have to think of something else."

"Like what?" K.I.T.T asked.

Pierce shrugged. "You're on your own there." He went back to his work.

********

Later that week, Katherine found herself in Angela's lab. Half of the space was lab, the other was art studio, as Angela painted in her spare time. Today, they were going to take a plaster mold of Kat's face. This would then be used to make a replica of her face so that Angela could create disguises for her.

"Here." Angela handed her a couple of short straws. "Put those in your nose so you can breathe."

Kat looked at the tiny straws, trepidation pooling in her stomach.

"We only have to do this once." Angela assured her as she mixed the plaster. "Unless something goes wrong." She amended.

Kat suppressed a whimper. Her military training took over and her face went blank. Angela smiled at her encouragingly, then started applying the plaster. "See you in a couple of hours."

This was easily one of the worst experiences of her life. She had to sit perfectly still. Her eyes were shut and her ears were blocked. She was in absolute darkness and total silence. And all the while, her instincts screamed at her to fight her way out of the heavy weight that was suffocating her.

A low whimper did escape her chest and into her throat, but she stopped it there. She wasn't going to show any signs of weakness while she was here.

"Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun."

Kat recognized K.I.T.T's voice in her ear. Her uneasiness vanished, replaced by confusion. What was going on?

"Orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-two million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue green planet whose ape descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea."

Kat recognized the opening paragraphs of 'The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy' By Douglas Adams. Not one of her favorite books, science fiction wasn't really her thing, but it was something to listen to.

She sat silently while K.I.T.T recited into her ear. She wanted to thank it, but she couldn't open her mouth to do so. Then she thought better of it. She was still sore about the other day.

********

Kat sat in K.I.T.T's driver's seat, poring over the thick computer manual Pierce had given her. She studied the complicated diagram on the page, then looked at the dash. She placed a finger gently on the first of a short row of small black buttons, all of them unmarked. "So, this button here turns you invisible." She mused, reading.

"I wouldn't touch that." K.I.T.T suggested. "That is not the button for my cloaking program."

Something in the car's tone made her drop her hand. "Oh." She said, squinting at the page. Invisibility was the second button in the row. She pressed that one instead.

Nothing happened.

"Well, are we invisible?" Kat asked in irritation. She felt like a fool. Invisible cars... honestly!

"Would you like me to connect with the live cams outside?" K.I.T.T offered.

Kat stared at the dash. Were they really invisible, or was it just a joke? "Sure." She said after a moment.

A display flared to life on the windshield. Three different camera views were depicted. All of them were pointed to the raised circle, which was empty.

Kat stared in disbelief. "No, it's a trick." She whispered. "You're messing with the cameras." She stepped out of the car, turning automatically to look at it.

K.I.T.T shut the door, and she had no idea where it was. She stared in shock. How did a 2,000 pound vehicle just vanish? She was standing right next to it!

She squinted, trying to make the damned thing out. She concentrated hard and could just barely see a flicker or a shimmer of... something. Light? Reflecting the wrong way off of something? But then she blinked and lost it.

She reached her hand out, to feel where it was, but her fingers met empty air. She heard it's synthetic voice chuckle. "I apologize Katherine." It said, appearing a few feet ahead of her. "The opportunity was too tempting to resist."

Now it was making fun of her? It talked about resisting temptation, like it was somehow alive. "You're just a car." She whispered in shock.

From across the room a sharp voice startled her. "Oh no she didn't!"

"Carmen, settle down." Pierce warned dully from his desk. He didn't even bother looking up from his computers. The glow of the monitors reflected off of his glasses, hiding his eyes. Kat didn't think that his expression would be very comforting though. He was probably as furious as Carmen was, he was just better at hiding it.

Carmen was making her way rapidly over to her, speaking loudly in Spanish and gesturing at her. Kat took a step back, not sure what to expect.

K.I.T.T opened his driver's door in Carmen's path, between her and Kat. That made her pause. She turned the full intensity of her glare on the car. "Oh, no!" She cried indignantly. "Don't you dare protect her! You heard what she just said!"

"I know." K.I.T.T said, it's voice was flat. "I knew all along that she didn't like me. We have no choice but to work together."

Carmen snarled in her fury. "You think _Mami's_ not going to defend you when some-"

"Language." Pierce warned her, still not looking up.

Carmen didn't miss a beat, glaring at Kat again. "-prissy little _calientapollas_-" Then she slipped right back into full Spanish.

Kat's own Spanish was very limited. But K.I.T.T seemed to understand because it cut her off. "Carmen, that kind of language is not allowed on the compound. Do you want to get written up again?"

"_Just_ a car!" Carmen snarled. She yelled at Kat over K.I.T.T's open car door. She could have easily moved around it, but she didn't, respecting that K.I.T.T wanted to stop her. "What was the last car that you heard of getting a 1565 on his SATs? What other cars do you know that can beat Charles in chess?" Her voice got higher with each question. "Do you know any other car whose favorite song is Smooth Criminal?"

Kat just stood there, stunned. She blinked at Carmen stupidly. Carmen made a growling noise, clenching her hands like she wanted to rip something. With effort she brought herself under control. Her dark chocolate eyes were icy. She didn't say another word, and just spat on the ground at Kat's feet. Then she turned on her heel and marched back to her station.

Pierce let out a low whistle. "You rendered Carmen speechless. I am impressed." He said as he continued to type at his keyboard.

"_Viete a la mierda_, Pierce!"

"I love you too, Carmen." He crooned dully.

K.I.T.T backed up a few feet, till he was next to Kat again. His door was still open. "Perhaps it would be safer if you came back inside." He suggested.

Kat slid numbly into the driver's seat. The door shut. The heavy book slid out of her hands and fell into her lap.

"You're extremely tense, Katherine." K.I.T.T said worriedly. "Don't let what Carmen said bother you. She is very... passionate."

Kat shook her head. "No, she's right to treat me like that. I haven't been making this whole thing easier on anyone."

"An unwanted situation was thrust upon you without warning. It's understandable to react the way you have. You have carried yourself professionally, despite how you feel. You've given the best we can ask of you."

"Stop trying to make me feel better." Kat muttered, picking the book back up. She went back to her reading.

K.I.T.T's voice modulator light flickered irritably. Here again he was reminded that he didn't know what to say to his driver. He was used to Sam, who needed reassurances for his worries. He missed Sam. He didn't understand Katherine at all.

Kat reached out, putting a finger on another button as she read. Suddenly a siren blared and red light filled the large room briefly. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, and began rushing around on new tasks. The sudden chaos was actually very ordered and precise.

Kat clutched the book to her chest, startled. "What did I press?" She asked in panic.

"Nothing." K.I.T.T answered. "Something has happened. Stand by and wait for your briefing."

"Wait, the mission is starting now?" Kat demanded. "I thought I had another week!"

But K.I.T.T was silent. A screen flared to life on the windshield, showing Charles' face. "Yes, it is early. David is not yet back from Washington, so I will brief you. The informant contacted Homeland Security, saying that the suspect will be moving tonight at twenty-one hundred hours, pacific standard time. He will be leaving Los Angeles then and heading to the ocean. Once he is there he may take a boat, but we cannot be certain. It could be a diversion tactic. We can't let him reach his objective. He will disappear when he does. Our informant has no further information for us."

"Twenty-one hundred?" Kat asked hollowly. "That's six hours away, we'll never make Los Angeles in time."

She felt the slight vibration of K.I.T.T's silent engine starting up. "Have faith." K.I.T.T said. "I may be just a car to you, but I am far from ordinary." Kat raised her eyebrows at the hint of smugness in it's voice.

"Are you ready for this, Katherine?" Charles asked her seriously.

Kat tossed the computer manual onto the seat next to her. She gripped the wheel. "I'm ready to end this ordeal." She answered, her eyes determined.

Charles smiled just a little. "I can see you will make a good driver." He said.

"'Would', not 'will'." Kat corrected him. "This is just a one shot deal for me. I'm just here to help Sam out." She felt like she was repeating a mantra.

"Of course." Charles amended. "Good luck, to the both of you." His face disappeared as the raised circle the Camaro sat on lowered into the floor.

A long green lit tunnel stretched out before them. "There is a small silver button next to the fuel gauge." K.I.T.T told her. "Please press it." Kat pressed the Turbo-Boost button and they sped down the tunnel impossibly fast.

The steering wheel locked suddenly under her hands. "I will drive for now." K.I.T.T informed her. "Pierce will continue with your briefing."

Pierce's face appeared where Charles' had been. "The suspect is Timothy Haver. An alias of course. One of the many in Homeland Security's record." The suspect's face appeared in the corner of Pierce's screen. K.I.T.T took it and zoomed in on it. Kat studied it intently. Pierce went on. It was still a few hours before they would reach Los Angeles, even with the 450 mph K.I.T.T was pushing, so they were able to go over the finer points of Timothy Haver's crime, plutonium smuggling, and discuss possible strategies.

Apparently, Mr. Haver was up to his usual business and had stolen plutonium from a U.S. plant and was attempting to smuggle it out of the country. Homeland Security had assured them that only a small portion of plutonium had been stolen, and that there was no chance of fallout in the middle of Los Angeles. She and K.I.T.T were tasked with recovering the stolen plutonium, then with capturing Timothy Haver. It was in that order, the plutonium's recovery was the top priority.

Kat could see why too. You only needed a small amount of radioactive material to make a bomb. Even without the threat of fallout, a few buildings missing was still a big deal.

About an hour away, Pierce finished his briefing, reminding her that an extra set of contacts was in the glove compartment.

Then Carmen's face was on the screen as she pushed Pierce out of the way. "_Ten cuidado_, KITT." She said a little huskily. Then her expression turned chilly. "You too, Katherine. I guess." Then they were both gone, and it was just Kat inside the car.

"What did she say?" Kat asked.

"Be careful." K.I.T.T answered.

The seriousness of their situation hung over them like a blanket. Kat decided to try and lift it, just a little. "So, you're favorite song is 'Smooth Criminal'?" She asked. She had her hands on the wheel, but she wasn't the one steering. Her reflexes weren't quick enough to handle the highway at they speed they were going.

"It is this week." K.I.T.T answered.

"This week?"

"It changes, Charles says that is a good thing. He was the one who advised me to listen to music. He said it would help my learning, hearing so many different perspectives at one time. He is also testing the limits of my AI by having me show preference."

"So... what does that mean? If you can show preference?" Kat asked.

"It means I can think closer to the way a human does, rather than, say, your toaster." K.I.T.T answered flatly.

"Right." Kat said, feeling more tense than before.

There was a long pause. "I want to apologize." K.I.T.T said. "For how I acted when we first met."

But Kat wasn't ready to hear any apologies. "Forget it." She said. "Let's just listen to some music."

********

Back at the compound, Pierce was listening to K.I.T.T through a small earpiece. "I think K.I.T.T has been more restless to be on his first mission than we realized." He said to Charles. Carmen was not there. She had headed out in the Mobile Assistance Unit, following Kat and K.I.T.T.

Charles gave him a questioning look. "Why do you say that?" He asked.

Pierce pressed a finger to his earpiece, frowning. "For the last twenty minutes, he's been playing 'Born To Be Wild' over the radio."

Charles smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

Los Angeles

They pulled smoothly into a space on a dark street. Kat cut the engine. She opened the glove box and took out the spare contact lenses. She also found a spool of what looked like thick plastic cables ties. She decided that they might be useful and attached the spool to her belt.

"The building the suspect is hiding in is located just ahead." K.I.T.T informed her, displaying an overhead map. "Approximately fifty-five yards North-northwest of here." A green line went around the building down the street forming a square patch that zoomed in on the building.

"Run X-Ray and FLIR." Kat said. She was cool and collected. Now that she was on a mission, there was no indecision. There was just to do. This was what she was used to.

"Running X-Ray and Forward Looking Infrared filters." K.I.T.T announced. The zoomed-in panel turned digital, a bright green cross-section of the interior of the building. Then the infrared filter came down and bright red and yellow humanoid forms appeared on the screen.

Kat inspected the small group gathered on the third floor. The other floors were empty. There were three forms, two together, sitting close to the floor. The third was away from the other two, over by the window.

"Dammit." Kat muttered to herself. She hurriedly opened her door and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"What are you doing?" K.I.T.T asked curiously.

"Our suspect's not stupid. He has someone keeping an eye on the street." She headed up the street and turned the corner.

"You'll be perfectly safe inside of me." K.I.T.T reassured her. It spoke into her ear now, instead of through the modulator.

"That's not why I left." Kat told it. "It looks too odd for a dark car to stop on a deserted street and no one gets out. Especially if you are paranoid or careful enough to have someone watching the street."

"That is a good point." K.I.T.T assented. "What shall I do, then?"

"Just keep an eye on the place, and relay the pictures to my eye-cam if someone looks like they are leaving." Kat scowled. "We can't do anything until we get a proper I.D on the guy. How are we supposed to know if he's still even there?"

"There is evidence that points to the suspect still being in the building. I will show you." A screen came on in her eye-cam. It depicted the same picture as on K.I.T.T's windshield. A new filter came down over the screen. A bright purple light pulsed on the first floor.

Kat's stomach felt hollow. "Is that what I think it is?" She asked.

"The plutonium is giving off traces amounts of radiation through whatever they are using to carry it." K.I.T.T answered. "The seal is not tight, so there is a tiny leak that I can pick up. There is no danger unless exposed for a lengthy period of time."

Kat measured the size of the purple light compared to the bright red forms of the people. "That is a bit more plutonium than I was led to believe would be here." She said.

"I've sent the readouts back to Headquarters. Charles wishes to speak with you."

Charles face appeared next to the display of the building. "This situation is much more dangerous than we anticipated. Katherine, if you want to pull out, we'll understand. We don't want to put you or K.I.T.T in a situation that you can't handle."

But Kat wasn't going to back out now, and put her brother's job in danger. "No, it's fine, nothing much has changed. We can handle this." Kat assured him.

He hesitated. "If you're sure."

"I am." Kat said, her voice determined.

"Carmen has been heading after you in the semi since you left. She should be in your area within a few hours. Over and out." Charles said, and disappeared.

"Thank you, Katherine." K.I.T.T said. "You're helping us far more than we deserve, all things considered."

"Trust me, I am finishing this mission. Because once it is over, I am personally going to yank this implant out of my jaw and walk away." Kat said bitterly.

"You are willing to give everything up?" K.I.T.T asked. "I was told that my predecessor's driver enjoyed working with him."

"I've done my homework. The Two Thousand was practically tailor made for Michael Knight. Me, I'm just getting my big brother's hand me downs." She narrowed her dark eyes. "This is not something I would choose for myself. I don't want to give up my old life. I will not be Katherine Knight."

"Well, with Samuel Long dead, we'll just have to deal with each other until a new driver is trained." K.I.T.T's voice was brisk. "I'm looking forward to that as much as you are, I am sure."

Kat froze where she stood. "What did you just say?" She asked in a tight whisper.

"You can't be upset about that. Someone will have to drive me if you won't." There was definitely an edge to K.I.T.T's computerized voice. It was very slight. But Kat wasn't paying attention.

"Sam's coming back." She whispered. Her eyes were wide and staring. "This is his job. I'm just helping him out while he's away."

There was a pause from the car. "Katherine, you're brother died a week ago, while training in Base2."

"Stop saying he's dead!" She shrieked, closing her eyes tightly. "He's not dead!"

"Katherine-" But K.I.T.T was cut off as Kat clapped her hands over her head. She hunched over, buried by sudden grief.

"Get out of my head!" She gasped. "Leave me alone!"

K.I.T.T was silent for too short a time. "Katherine, we are still on a mission. The suspect is still inside of the building, but he could exit at any moment. We must make the I.D and detain him."

Kat leaned against the alley wall. She gasped in effort. "The mission..." The mission was important. She had to finish the mission. She couldn't go to pieces right now. But it was like trying to hold back the tide with her hands. It went over and around her pitiful resistance. "Sam..." Her voice broke as tears sprang to her eyes. She shook her head violently. "Just... just give me a minute." She pleaded brokenly.

There was a tense pause. "You don't have a minute. One of the occupants is heading out now."

"Show me." She whispered, her body tensing. She didn't dare move from where she was. She had no idea where the suspect would be heading, and for what reason.

K.I.T.T transmitted the x-ray and infrared scans to her contact lenses. She saw, superimposed on the alley wall, that one of the large red and yellow masses had separated from the group and was heading downstairs.

Then the scene changed abruptly. K.I.T.T dropped the filters as the front door opened and a man stepped out. He switched to his high speed camera, zooming in on the man's face. The picture froze, then separated from the moving image, off to the side as K.I.T.T analyzed the features.

It took less than a second. "It's him." K.I.T.T announced.

Kat drew in a shaky breath. At this point she had nearly put herself back together. A mask of calm settled over her features, and if her hands shook slightly, she didn't pay attention to them. "Are you sure?" She asked, her voice sounding normal.

"Well, there _is_ a .002 percent margin of error."

Kat nodded. "I'll take the risk."

"He's walking south. If you step out of the alley your in know and turn the next corner, your paths will intersect."

Kat exited the alley, doing as K.I.T.T said. She turned the corner and spotted their target. He was walking towards her. He spotted her, and stopped. He gave her a wary look, then glanced around. When he turned back to her, his gaze was interested. He made his way purposefully toward her.

Kat decided to try the direct approach. "Timothy Haver?" She called to him when he was just a few feet away.

That made him pause, wary again. K.I.T.T spoke into Kat's ear. "I detect a slight limp in his walk. I am guessing he's had a previous injury to his left knee." A red mark glowed over the suspects kneecap. "Right there."

Kat stepped forward. Timothy took the better part of valor and retreated, but Kat was too quick for him. A quick kick to the knee and he crumpled to the ground. Kat then delivered a sharp blow to the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious. It had been so quick, that he hadn't had the chance to cry out.

Kat pulled a zip tie off the spool at her hip and secured it around the suspect's wrists. She left him there, Carmen could pick him up when she got there. The plutonium was the main priority.

"The plutonium is on the move." K.I.T.T said in her ear.

She swore under her breath. Of course. They send out the recognizable bait, then make their move.

"They have separated it into two unmarked cars. They're preparing to escape." K.I.T.T continued.

Kat could see why Homeland Security had not wanted to handle this mission themselves. When it failed, they didn't want to be the ones to take the blame. "Tag the cars." She said.

A tiny hole by K.I.T.T's left headlight opened up. He shot two tracers at the getaway cars as they passed. He opened up a new display on his windshield, an overhead map. The two cars were marked by flashing red lights on the map. They drove next to each other. They were rapidly getting farther away.

"OK, come and get me." Kat said, making her way quickly back to the corner.

Within seconds K.I.T.T pulled up in front of her, the passenger's side door open. Kat dove inside. Tires squealing, K.I.T.T tore off after the cars.

Kat slid across the seat and settled behind the wheel. K.I.T.T turned the steering over to her while he closed the door.

"OK, options." Kat said as she sped after the two cars.

"We can't take out the vehicles." K.I.T.T said automatically. "If we jostle them too hard, we might break open whatever is holding the plutonium. We could follow them to their destination and recover the plutonium there."

Just then, the two red dots on the screen separated, moving in opposite directions. Kat scowled. "OK, now what?"

"Remember that little button I told you not to push earlier?" K.I.T.T asked.

"Yeah..." Kat said slowly.

"Press it."

Kat found the black button that was the first of it's row. She took a breath, then pressed it.

While still driving, K.I.T.T began to change. He settled lower to the ground, his wheels slid further apart. His chassis became smaller. The backseat folded in on itself. The front seat was now a bit more cramped than it was before. "Pursuit mode." Kat said, as she realized what was going on.

K.I.T.T had one mode that he could switch to without having to get refitted by Carmen. That was Pursuit Mode. He made himself smaller and lower to the ground, so as to minimize drag and maximize speed, while still keeping him on the ground.

It was Saturday night, so traffic was mild approaching heavy. But K.I.T.T swerved through the other cars as easily as if they were going in slow motion. They soon caught up to one of the cars. "Where is your EM Pulse?" Kat asked.

A button on the dash flashed red once. Kat waited until they were right behind the escaping car, then pressed it. The fleeing car stopped immediately, the engine dying. K.I.T.T swerved around it.

"Get the other car." Kat ordered. She opened her door and flew out before K.I.T.T had stopped. She was just in time to tackle the man escaping from his car.

Soon, she had him pressed face first into the pavement. She tied a thick cable-tie around his wrists.

K.I.T.T. was already gone, after the other car. He shot through the streets, leaving Kat behind. But he hadn't left her completely without his help. "The plutonium is in the trunk." He told her. "I scanned the car before I left."

Kat grabbed the keys from the ignition, then ran around to the back. She unlocked the trunk and popped it open. Inside was a large metal trunk. She hefted it out of the trunk. It was easily fifty pounds, but she had carried heavier. It was made completely of lead and secured tightly.

Kat knew the actual amount of plutonium was small, maybe no more than a handful. But only a few grains were required to make an explosive. Most of the case's bulk came from the lead shielding it.

She remembered what K.I.T.T had said to her, about one of the cases having a leak. He had said it wasn't a dangerous one, but the very thought of it sent prickles up the arm holding the case. She wanted to get rid of this thing as soon as possible.

She looked around furtively. No one was walking the sidewalk, but there were plenty of cars passing by. A few seemed pretty upset about the stopped car in the middle of the street.

Kat dragged the unconscious man back up, into his car and shut the door. He could stay like that for a while. Then she hefted the case up again and sprinted after K.I.T.T.

No one stopped her, thank God for large cities.

********

K.I.T.T was still sending the display of the fleeing car to Kat's eye cam. He also highlighted his own position as a green dot. The green dot quickly caught up to the remaining red dot.

He sped past the car, turning into it's path as soon as he was ahead of it. The car swerved out of the way, driving up onto the sidewalk. K.I.T.T then maneuvered behind the car, blocking it from escaping. The occupant didn't dare risk ramming K.I.T.T out of the way, not that it would have done him much good if he tried.

The driver opened his door and ran off, leaving his cargo behind.

"Where are you?" K.I.T.T asked Kat. He could hear a steady panting coming from the implant.

"About... ten blocks away." Kat said, gasping softly.

"Would you like me to come and get you?" He asked her.

"No, stay and watch the plutonium." She answered. "I'll be there soon."

"The driver escaped." K.I.T.T informed her.

"That's fine, we got two of them, and the plutonium is safe now. Nearly."

"I've contacted Charles. Carmen won't be here for another couple of hours."

"Then it's up to us to do cleanup." Kat said.

A few minutes later, she caught up to him. She stowed her case in the back seat and went to fetch the other one.

"Dammit!" She swore when she checked the ignition. "He took the keys with him."

She ran around to the trunk, looking it over. She was weighing the merits of forcing it open when K.I.T.T called from behind her. "Move over."

She dodged to the side. K.I.T.T activated his laser, which was hidden over the right headlight. He aimed it precisely on the trunk's lock, destroying the insides. The trunk popped open and Kat retrieved the second case. She stowed that in K.I.T.T's backseat as well.

"Let's go pick up our perpetrators." She said as she slid into the driver's seat.

They drove back to the other car and picked up the still unconscious man from inside. Timothy Haver was just coming around when they got back to him. "What the hell is going on here?" He demanded as she hefted him to his feet and forced him into K.I.T.T's backseat.

She knew that she should say something witty right about now. But she was exhausted. She got into the driver's seat again and they headed out to meet Carmen in the semi.

Timothy Haver looked around the car's interior. "You're not with the police." He said suspiciously.

"I'm with Homeland Security." Kat lied. OK, it was kind of almost true. Nearly.

"Since when does Homeland Security have Camaros?"

"Have you ever worked for Homeland Security?" Kat asked through clenched teeth.

"No."

"Then shut the hell up."

Kat was immensely relieved when they met Carmen. She had turned around, heading back to the compound when Charles told her that they were catching up. She didn't bother stopping when they reached her, K.I.T.T just drove up the back.

Carmen was there, glaring at a few men in black suits. K.I.T.T opened the passenger's door and they pulled the two men and the plutonium cases out. Kat stayed inside the car for the rest of the trip. The mission was over, but she was still tensed from the ordeal. She wouldn't really feel anything until later.

********


	5. Chapter 5

F.L.A.G Underground Facility

It was the middle of the night. K.I.T.T sat alone on his circle. People still worked on the compound, but it was in there own quarters. Even Carmen and Pierce had retired. K.I.T.T's area was deserted.

Which was why K.I.T.T was surprised when Katherine ran silently up to him. She opened his door and slid quickly into the seat. She shut the door behind her softly. Her hands were shaking, and her breathing was quick and loud.

"Are you all right?" K.I.T.T asked her in alarm, using only his internal speakers to talk, so as not to disturb the quiet outside.

She laid down across both of the front seats, her whole body trembling. When she spoke, her voice was strained. "I just need to be away from people right now." She said. She curled up into the fetal position and shivered uncontrollably. She began to whimper and sob quietly.

K.I.T.T just couldn't understand. What was wrong with her? She hadn't acted this way on the mission. She had been able to push away her pain. She hadn't fallen apart like she was now.

What was he supposed to do? What could he do?

He increased the opacity on all of the windows, even the windshield, until it was completely dark inside of the cab.

Just then, lights flared on all around the main room. Carmen walked in, flanked by two of her workers. They were looking all over the large space, even under the desks. It only took him a fifth of a second to realize that they were looking for Kat.

Charles stepped out of his office and looked down over the rail. "Have you found her yet?" He asked the group below.

Carmen shook her head. "She might have left the Compound." She said, not really caring. "You know she didn't want to stay here."

"Security would have seen her." Charles shook his head. "No one gets by them."

Carmen shrugged. "I dunno, what do you want from me? Go look at the cameras."

Charles looked over at K.I.T.T. "Have you seen Katherine, KITT? Angela reported her missing from her quarters after lights out."

K.I.T.T's pause was too short for a human brain to register. "No, I haven't." He answered.

Charles nodded. "Let us know if you see her, she might be in danger."

"I don't think she's in danger." K.I.T.T said impulsively. "Nor do I think she's left the Compound. She's been through a great deal in a short time. I think she just needs time to herself."

Charles stared at K.I.T.T for a long moment, noting the black windshield. He pulled his cellphone from his pocket, pressing a button as he brought it to his ear. "Call off the search." He said into it, and hung up. He looked down at Carmen. "That means you too."

"Thank god!" Carmen said. "Estoy cansado! Let's got to bed!" She muttered to herself as she and her two workers left. "Don't see why you just didn't look on the cameras."

"Good night, KITT." Charles turned and walked back into his office. The lights in the main room went out.

K.I.T,T was uneasy. He had just lied to Charles. That was a first. He knew his programming was changing, adjusting as he learned more, and also due to his driver's personality. He didn't feel comfortable lying though. He would try not to do that again unless he had to.

And then there was Kat, who was sobbing all over his leather seats. Even if he couldn't feel it, he could recognize that she was in pain.

She had come to him because she had wanted to be away from people. She didn't see him as a person, just as a car. Well, was there something that he could give her that a person couldn't?

It didn't register to Kat when K.I.T.T's screen flared to life. She was too wrapped up inside of her pain, her eyes tightly closed, her arms around her legs, desperately trying to hold herself together. She didn't even look up till she heard his voice.

Not K.I.T.T's. Sam's.

"So, your name is KITT, huh? My baby sister's called Kat, but just by me. KITT, Kat, KitKat, that's funny." He chuckled.

She opened her eyes slowly. The bright screen was blurred by her tears. She rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes. Sam's smiling face, he was always smiling, was on the screen. He was driving. Kat recognized K.I.T.T's steering wheel under his hands. The scenery outside of the window was just a blur. Sam didn't seem to mind how fast he was going. Then again, knowing him, he probably enjoyed it.

"She's a jet pilot. I guess that means she likes speed even more than I do." He joked. "I'm a little jealous of her though. Can you believe it, a pilot! At her age!"

She had forgotten just how laid back he always was. A situation that she had found so strange he had taken in stride. Talking cars? Sure, fine. What else you got?

"Man, I wish she could see me now. I bet she would be soo jealous." His grin was blinding. Kat felt the corner of her mouth lift slightly. "I think she would like you. You two are a lot alike. You both worry about me too much." He laughed. Kat grimaced.

She didn't hear any of K.I.T.T's recorded responses. She was entirely focused on her brother's face. She sat up and slid out from under the steering wheel. She leaned her arms on the dash and rested her chin on them. It wasn't comfortable, but she didn't care. She didn't even notice when K.I.T.T adjusted the passenger's seat so she wasn't stretched out across the cab. She focused only on the sound of her dead brother's voice, and the smile on his face.

********

She woke hours later. She guessed it was morning. There was no sunlight in the underground compound, so she couldn't be sure.

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Her mouth tasted awful. How long had she been in here? Her back and shoulders ached. "Ohhh, sleeping in a car is not good on your back." She muttered. "Didn't I learn anything from High School?" She began to rub the kinks out of her neck.

"I was going to ask how you slept." K.I.T.T said. "But it seemed that you slept pretty deeply, considering how much you were drooling on my seats."

She wiped the back of her hand on her cheek. It was dry. She narrowed her eyes at the stereo. "I didn't drool."

K.I.T.T was silent. It was waiting. She knew that.

Kat leaned back in the seat, wincing as the muscles in the small of her back stretched. She looked at herself in the mirror. "God, I'm a mess." Her eyes were red rimmed, the skin under them was puffy. Her hair was beyond help.

Kat took another moment, delaying what was coming while she organized her thoughts. "My brother liked you a lot." She said finally.

"You could say we were friends." K.I.T.T answered. "He was easy to get along with. Everyone liked him."

Kat nodded. She put her hand on the steering wheel hesitantly, tracing the pattern in the leather tooling with her fingertips. "I'm not like my brother." She said. "There is no one else in the world who could be as unbearably happy as he was."

"He was a good man." K.I.T.T said.

Kat felt her eyes tear. She bit her bottom lip. "Yeah." She whispered. Then she regained control of herself. "I hope that I can be half as useful to you as he was." She said, keeping her eyes on the steering wheel.

"You're staying?" K.I.T.T asked.

The disbelieving tone to it's voice made her flinch. "I'll understand if you don't want me to." She said. "I've been pretty unbearable to you. I promise I'll try harder though."

K.I.T.T hesitated. "No one ever said they didn't want you here." He hedged. "I wouldn't be against it, if you stayed with us."

Kat nodded. "Driving around in a souped-up car, fighting baddies has never really appealed to me." She swallowed. "But, I do want to find out what happened to my brother. I can do that if I stay here."

"I thought it might be something like that." K.I.T.T said.

"I'll still focus on the missions." She assured him. "I'll give everything I have. I'll be the best driver I can for you." A faint smile appeared in her eyes. "And, in our off time, maybe you can show me some more videos."

"I can do that." K.I.T.T said at once. "Welcome aboard, Katherine."

Kat's smile touched her mouth as well. "Call me Kat." She said.

"Everyone calls me KITT."

"Nice to meet you, KITT."

"The pleasure is mine."

********

Kat stepped out of the car a few minutes later. Her face was a mask of calm. She walked determinedly up the metal staircase to Charles' office. She knocked on the glass door lightly.

Charles looked up from his work, and gestured for her to enter. "How are you feeling?" He asked her as soon as she walked in.

"Better." Kat answered cautiously. "And worse. Is David back from Washington yet? I would like to speak with him."

Charles nodded. "He came back this morning. He should be in his office, just a bit past mine." He pointed. Then he looked at her sharply, hope in his eyes. "Does this mean that you will stay on with us?" He asked.

Kat nodded solemnly. "Yeah."

"Wonderful!" Charles rose from his chair. He walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. His happy expression faded. There was a deep sadness and sympathy there. "Now that you are part of the team, I must tell you-"

"I know already." Kat said, giving him a steady look.

Charles face was surprised, but still sympathetic. "I'm so sorry." He told her. "For your loss, and for hiding it from you."

There was a hard glint in her eyes. "I don't hold it against you." She said. "You and the others had your orders. Highly confidential circumstances." She turned away. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have to go see David. There is a contract I have to sign."

Charles nodded absently. The work on his desk was already calling him back to it. "Of course. Go on then. I'll see you later." He smiled, happy at the prospect.

Kat walked down to David's office. His door was not clear like Charles' was. And there were blinds covering the large window. Kat took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Enter." Was David's reply.

She stepped inside of the office. David sat behind a massive wooden desk. He smiled when he saw her. "Ah, Miss Long. I am pleasantly surprised to find you still here."

"I want the contract." Kat told him simply.

His smile turned smug. "I thought that might be the case." He opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a thick sheaf of paper. He slapped it onto the desktop. "Here you go." He slid the papers and his silver pen across the desk to her.

Kat didn't bother sitting in the chair in front of the desk. She leaned over while she signed all of the documents. When she was finally done, she placed the pen on top and slid the papers back. She rubbed her wrist, she could feel a cramp starting. "Is that it?" She asked.

"That's all of them." David answered. He shuffled the papers together neatly and replaced them back into his desk.

"You can't get rid of me now?" Kat asked.

David laughed. "No. You're going to be with us for quite some time."

"Good, because I have something to say to you." Kat said.

He looked up at her in interest. "Is that so?" He asked.

Kat nodded. "I know about Sam." She said. "I know that he's dead." She was so glad that she had been able to say that firmly. She hadn't been sure she could do this. But now that she was here, she found strength inside of her.

There was a guarded look in his eyes. "Who told you? Everyone had direct orders not to speak of any classified information." He gestured to his desk drawer. "It's all in their contracts."

Kat gave him a cool look. "Don't underestimate me. I found out on my own. The information was there."

David steepled his fingers. "I suppose it was, yes. But you still signed the contract." He smiled.

"I started this whole thing because I thought I was helping Sam out. Something you led me to believe. You knew he was dead, yet you deceived me just so you could finish your mission and save your own ass." Kat's voice was rising as she let the anger inside of her out slowly.

"And yet, knowing this, you still chose to stay on." David reminded, his dark eyes glittered.

"I'm still not staying for you." Kat told him acidly. "I'm staying for me." She leaned over his desk. "I just have one more thing to say to you."

David raised his eyebrows. "And what's that?" He asked, amused.

"This." Kat swung out her fist quickly, catching David right in his left cheekbone. The blow was strong enough to knock him from his chair.

Down in the main lab, a loud crash was heard. Charles exited his office quickly, looking down towards David's office. "What on earth...?"

Carmen looked up at him from her workstation. "I think Kat's telling David that she knows about Sam."

That made Charles pause. He frowned. "Oh. Should I call Security?" He asked himself.

Carmen stood up. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." She said to him.

"Oh, thank you Carmen." Charles returned to his office.

When he was out of sight, Carmen sat back down. She pulled a metal nail file from the back of her coveralls and began cleaning under her nails.

Another crashing sound came from above them. Pierce looked over at Carmen. "Aren't you going to stop her?" He asked.

Carmen looked up at him from her nails. "I'll get to it." She said heatedly. "Can't you see how extremely busy I am right now?"

One of Pierce's eyebrows twitched. "Pardon me." He said, returning to his work.

A few seconds later, David's office door opened and Kat headed down the stairs. She shook out her right arm. "Much better." She said under her breath. Pierce's eyes followed her as she walked over to K.I.T.T.

"Did you get the contracts signed?" K.I.T.T asked her worriedly.

"Yep." She answered, leaning back against his hood. "All done."

"Good." He answered, relieved.

Carmen walked over to them. Kat gave her a wary look. "I see you two are finally getting along." She said coolly.

Kat smiled weakly. "Mostly."

Carmen nodded up to the walkway. "I heard you went to go see David."

"Yeah, we exchanged some words." Kat said, her smile turned rueful.

Carmen looked down at the floor. "Yeah, listen Katherine, about Sam..."

"It's all right." Kat told her. "I don't blame anyone else."

"He was a good man." Carmen said, still looking at the floor.

Kat's smile was tight. "I know that better than anyone." She said.

Carmen reached up suddenly, pulling Kat down in a tight hug. Kat's eyes widened in surprise. Carmen released her just as suddenly. "I gotta get back to work." Carmen mumbled. As she walked away, she wiped at her eyes.

Kat regained her balance, steadying herself on K.I.T.T's hood. "That was... unexpected." She said.

"You'll soon realize that Carmen always does the unexpected." K.I.T.T told her in amusement.

Kat laughed. It was a shaky one, but real. "I guess I will."

Author's Note: That's it for my pilot! Tell me what you think! Should I make more episodes? I probably will, since I enjoy writing this. But I won't post them up here if no one wants to read them! That would be silly!

So, review and tell me your opinion, even if you thought the last five chapters sucked. I am always trying to improve my writing and I do that best with feedback.


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